The best airline rewards program or frequent flyer program for you is a combination of which airlines are near you and a gazillion (more or less) other criteria, like how easy it is to rack up the miles. Location aside, this matrix from The Points Guy can help you choose the right program to join.

It's a subjective rating, but travel blogger Brian Kelly, a.k.a., The Points Guy, carefully considers multiple criteria, from ease in accruing miles to taxes and fees for things like last-minute bookings or award redemption fees. Here's how the 6 programs he evaluated stack up:

Of these, Continental/United Airlines comes out on top, but you could use the chart to find an airline loyalty program with a specific feature you care about most (e.g., award levels: US Airways or most ways to earn miles: Delta).

Kelly also offers pros and cons for each program.

When Lifehacker readers nominated the best frequent flyer programs, results were so spread out we had to list the top eight rather than five. The Points Guy gives you another perspective on these programs.